	"3 Circle Standing Zen" This is the first Qigong we would recommend you practice. It is very easy to learn, can be done almost anywhere, and is tremendously hard to do wrong. The benefits of this can be felt within only a few weeks but with perseverance, real benefits are gained. For this reason you should practice this Qigong daily. The benefits of this method affect the whole body and with continued practice will develop great power and vitality. Advanced methods of this Qigong isolate certain areas of the body and bring increased power to these areas for martial purposes. Method Stand with feet shoulder width apart, feet parallel. Your body weight should be focused down through the front part of your heels (not at the ball of the foot or the back of the heel but at the area just before the arch of the foot). Gently curl your toes under. This foot position forms the first of the three circles. Bend your knees so that if you look down you can't see your toes, and push out your knees so as to make your shins vertical. Roll your tailbone under. This has the effect of making the lumbar region of your spine straight. Don't arch your back, this is bad and will cause pain. The spine should be straight all the way up. Tuck your chin in slightly to help straighten the top of your spine. (Imagine a thread attached to the crown of your head pulling you up). Checking yourself in a mirror, side on, is a good way of ensuring a straight back. Your spine should not only be straight but perpendicular. Hold your arms in front of your body as though hugging a tree. This position forms the second circle. Your armpits should feel open, as though you have a tennis ball in each one and your elbows should hang down slightly. Each hand should be about 45 centimetres away from you with the first finger of each hand roughly on level with your chin. Your hands should be positioned as though holding a ball, offering it to someone, fingers relaxed with a straight line of skin between first finger and thumb of each hand, forming the last circle. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth, on the hard palette, connecting the "Du" and "Ren" meridians. Breath in and out though your nose deeply but gently, not forcing the breath but breathing naturally. The breath should be sunk down to the "Dan Tien" about 3 centimetres below the navel. Your chest should not move, the breath should be made by the abdomen as a child would breathe before learning bad habits. Hold this posture for at least 10 minutes. This will be extremely difficult at first and may take some time to work up to, but believe me it's worth it in the long run. At the end of the 10 minutes, slowly lower your hands to stomach level but retain the integrity of the posture you have struggled to maintain and hold them there for 5 more minutes, breathing properly all the time. To finish, relax your arms slowly then raise them out to the sides to eye level as you breathe in. Bring both hands in to the centre and push your hands down to stomach level (down the middle of your body) with palms down as you breathe out. Bring your feet together and cross your forearms behind your back, (men with right arm outer most, women with left). Straighten one leg and lift it as high as you can, then place you foot gently back down, feet together. Do this 5 times on each side. These exercises help to store the Qi you have just gathered and are very important. Walk around for a while to loosen off but don't eat or drink anything for at least 15 minutes.
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